Oil Industry Launches Ad Campaign to Repeal RFS (E15)

The American Petroleum Institute is focusing its new ad campaign on what
the Renewable Fuels Standard will cost consumers.

WASHINGTON July 17, 2013; The American Petroleum Institute (API) is
taking its message that the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is
costing consumers, The Hill reports. The ads, which are running in the
Washington, D.C., area, as well as in several states, are on radio and
television, plus print and online.

The “significant campaign” talks about how consumers will
pay for RFS. “By mandating higher ethanol content in gasoline than is
safe, it threatens American consumers, the investments they’ve made
in their vehicles, and our economic well-being,” said Bob Greco,
downstream director for the institute.

Biofuel groups are hitting back: “This is just more of the same
from Big Oil. They will stop at nothing to maintain their near monopoly on
the liquid fuels market, even if it means saddling consumers with ever
increasing prices at the pump,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth
Energy.

The API media blitz is hitting just as Congress is holding hearings
about biofuel-blending regulations. The institute wants to repeal the rule
entirely because E15 is not good for car engines. Earlier, API asked the
U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the Environmental Protection
Agency on E15, but the higher court refused to hear the case.

One of the first ads touches on that concern, warning that E15 and
higher blends could harm engines. But a full repeal is not likely, although
some lawmakers have sided with API on the issue. “We want a repeal
bill to move this year,” said Greco. “But we also recognize
that this Congress is not moving as quickly on a lot of issues as it
should.”